Every once in a while, it is nice to read a lovely blog that a mother has written about her child. There is a blog called Micro-Preemie to Miracle that mom Sarah Bollinger started about her son, Everett, who was born at 15 weeks premature. He’s come a long way!
I always find stories about preemies to be very interesting. There is something fascinating about the story of a teeny, tiny, baby that struggles to grow and thrive. Often, their stories are uplifting and inspiring. It is nice to read something positive!
Last December, I wrote about a preemie named Melinda who was the second smallest preemie in America. She was born 24 weeks premature, and weighed less than a can of soda. She could fit into the palm of her doctor’s hand. She was still in the hospital for that Christmas, but was expected to be released shortly after the new year of 2012.
Recently, I found a blog called From Micro-Preemie to Miracle. It is written by Sarah Bollinger about her son, Everett. He was born in October of 2009 at 25 weeks gestation. This mean that he was 15 weeks premature. When Everett was born, he weighed 1 pound and 13 ounces, and was 12.5 inches long.
The blog is written in a letter style, with posts that start with “Dear Friends and Family”. The first post was written shortly after Everett was born. The blog continues with updates about all of his milestones, medical procedures, and much more. There is a video that has photos from Everett’s first year.
Everett needed to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. During the first six months of his life, he had H1N1 Swine Flu, two major bowel surgeries, and several infections. After 157 days, he was able to go home in March of 2010.
Everett is now three years old. He is 28 pounds and 36 inches tall. He is using leg braces to make his legs straighter and is going to speech therapy. He is doing great, but could face other developmental and learning challenges in the future.
Sara Bollinger was recently interviewed by the San Luis Tribune. You can read more of her, and Everett’s story, there. I highly recommend you take a moment to check out her blog. In addition to letters to family, she has started writing letters to Everett that he can read when he gets older. It is always nice to read a positive story!
Image by Katelyn Kenderdine on Flickr